CHAPTER 3. Unauthorized Communications With Prisons and Prisoners [4570. - 4577.]

Cal. Penal Code - PEN 3.

in effect

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4570. Section 4570.

Every person who, without the permission of the warden or other officer in charge of any State prison, or prison road camp, or prison forestry camp, or other prison camp or prison farm or any other place where prisoners of the State prison are located under the custody of prison officials, officers or employees, or any jail, or any county road camp in this State, communicates with any prisoner or person detained therein, or brings therein or takes therefrom any letter, writing, literature, or reading matter to or from any prisoner or person confined therein, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4570.1. Section 4570.1.

Every person who, without permission of the peace officer or corrections officer in charge of any vehicle, bus, van or automobile used for the transportation of prisoners, delivers a written communication to any prisoner or person detained therein, or being escorted to or from that vehicle, or takes from or gives to the prisoner any item, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4570.5. Section 4570.5.

Every person who falsely indentifies himself either verbally or by presenting any fraudulent written instrument to prison officials, officers, or employees of any state prison, prison road camp, or prison forestry camp, or other prison camp or prison farm, or any jail, or any county industrial farm, or any county road camp, for the purpose of securing admission to the premises or grounds of any such prison, camp, farm, or jail, and such person would not otherwise qualify for admission, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4571. Section 4571.

Every person who, having been previously convicted of a felony and confined in any State prison in this State, without the consent of the warden or other officer in charge of any State prison or prison road camp, or prison forestry camp, or other prison camp or prison farm or any other place where prisoners of the State prison are located under the custody of prison officials, officers or employees, or any jail or any county road camp in this State, comes upon the grounds of any such institution, or lands belonging or adjacent thereto, is guilty of a felony.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4573. Section 4573.

(a) Except when otherwise authorized by law, or when authorized by the person in charge of the prison or other institution referred to in this section or by an officer of the institution empowered by the person in charge of the institution to give the authorization, any person, who knowingly brings or sends into, or knowingly assists in bringing into, or sending into, any state prison, prison road camp, prison forestry camp, or other prison camp or prison farm or any other place where prisoners of the state are located under the custody of prison officials, officers or employees, or into any county, city and county, or city jail, road camp, farm or other place where prisoners or inmates are located under custody of any sheriff, chief of police, peace officer, probation officer or employees, or within the grounds belonging to the institution, any controlled substance, the possession of which is prohibited by Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia intended to be used for unlawfully injecting or consuming a controlled substance, is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years. (b) The prohibitions and sanctions addressed in this section shall be clearly and prominently posted outside of, and at the entrance to, the grounds of all detention facilities under the jurisdiction of, or operated by, the state or any city, county, or city and county.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4573.5. Section 4573.5.

Any person who knowingly brings into any state prison or other institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections, or into any prison camp, prison farm, or any other place where prisoners or inmates of these institutions are located under the custody of prison or institution officials, officers, or employees, or into any county, city and county, or city jail, road camp, farm or any other institution or place where prisoners or inmates are being held under the custody of any sheriff, chief of police, peace officer, probation officer, or employees, or within the grounds belonging to any institution or place, any alcoholic beverage, any drugs, other than controlled substances, in any manner, shape, form, dispenser, or container, or any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia intended to be used for unlawfully injecting or consuming any drug other than controlled substances, without having authority so to do by the rules of the Department of Corrections, the rules of the prison, institution, camp, farm, place, or jail, or by the specific authorization of the warden, superintendent, jailer, or other person in charge of the prison, jail, institution, camp, farm, or place, is guilty of a felony. The prohibitions and sanctions addressed in this section shall be clearly and prominently posted outside of, and at the entrance to, the grounds of all detention facilities under the jurisdiction of, or operated by, the state or any city, county, or city and county.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4573.6. Section 4573.6.

(a) Any person who knowingly has in his or her possession in any state prison, prison road camp, prison forestry camp, or other prison camp or prison farm or any place where prisoners of the state are located under the custody of prison officials, officers, or employees, or in any county, city and county, or city jail, road camp, farm, or any place or institution, where prisoners or inmates are being held under the custody of any sheriff, chief of police, peace officer, probation officer, or employees, or within the grounds belonging to any jail, road camp, farm, place or institution, any controlled substances, the possession of which is prohibited by Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia intended to be used for unlawfully injecting or consuming controlled substances, without being authorized to so possess the same by the rules of the Department of Corrections, rules of the prison or jail, institution, camp, farm or place, or by the specific authorization of the warden, superintendent, jailer, or other person in charge of the prison, jail, institution, camp, farm or place, is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years. (b) The prohibitions and sanctions addressed in this section shall be clearly and prominently posted outside of, and at the entrance to, the grounds of all detention facilities under the jurisdiction of, or operated by, the state or any city, county, or city and county.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4573.8. Section 4573.8.

Any person who knowingly has in his or her possession in any state prison, prison road camp, prison forestry camp, or other prison camp or prison farm or any place where prisoners of the state are located under the custody of prison officials, officers, or employees, or in any county, city and county, or city jail, road camp, farm, or any place or institution, where prisoners or inmates are being held under the custody of any sheriff, chief of police, peace officer, probation officer, or employees, or within the grounds belonging to any jail, road camp, farm, place, or institution, drugs in any manner, shape, form, dispenser, or container, any device, contrivance, instrument, or paraphernalia intended to be used for unlawfully injecting or consuming drugs, or alcoholic beverages, without being authorized to possess the same by rules of the Department of Corrections, rules of the prison or jail, institution, camp, farm, or place, or by the specific authorization of the warden, superintendent, jailer, or other person in charge of the prison, jail, institution, camp, farm, or place, is guilty of a felony. The prohibitions and sanctions addressed in this section shall be clearly and prominently posted outside of, and at the entrance to, the grounds of all detention facilities under the jurisdiction of, or operated by, the state or any city, county, or city and county.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4573.9. Section 4573.9.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person, other than a person held in custody, who sells, furnishes, administers, or gives away, or offers to sell, furnish, administer, or give away to any person held in custody in any state prison or other institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections, or in any prison camp, prison farm, or any other place where prisoners or inmates of these institutions are located under the custody of prison institution officials, officers, or employees, or in any county, city and county, or city jail, road camp, farm, or any other institution or place where prisoners or inmates are being held under the custody of any sheriff, chief of police, peace officer, probation officer, or employees, or within the grounds belonging to any institution or place, any controlled substance, the possession of which is prohibited by Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, if the recipient is not authorized to possess the same by the rules of the Department of Corrections, rules of the prison or jail, institution, camp, farm, or place, or by the specific authorization of the warden, superintendent, jailer, or other person in charge of the prison, jail, institution, camp, farm, or place, is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, four, or six years. (b) The prohibitions and sanctions addressed in this section shall be clearly and prominently posted outside of, and at the entrance to, the grounds of all detention facilities under the jurisdiction of, or operated by, the state or any city, county, or city and county.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4574. Section 4574.

(a) Except when otherwise authorized by law, or when authorized by the person in charge of the prison or other institution referred to in this section or by an officer of the institution empowered by the person in charge of the institution to give such authorization, any person, who knowingly brings or sends into, or knowingly assists in bringing into, or sending into, any state prison or prison road camp or prison forestry camp, or other prison camp or prison farm or any other place where prisoners of the state prison are located under the custody of prison officials, officers or employees, or any jail or any county road camp in this state, or within the grounds belonging or adjacent to any such institution, any firearms, deadly weapons, or explosives, and any person who, while lawfully confined in a jail or county road camp possesses therein any firearm, deadly weapon, explosive, tear gas or tear gas weapon, is guilty of a felony and punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years. (b) Except as provided in subdivision (a), any person who knowingly brings or sends into those places any tear gas or tear gas weapons which results in the release of such tear gas or use of such weapon is guilty of a felony and punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four years. (c) Except as provided in subdivision (a), any person who knowingly brings or sends into those places any tear gas or tear gas weapons is guilty of a misdemeanor and punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4575. Section 4575.

(a) Any person in a local correctional facility who possesses a wireless communication device, including, but not limited to, a cellular telephone, pager, or wireless Internet device, who is not authorized to possess that item is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). (b) Any person housed in a local correctional facility who possesses any tobacco products in any form, including snuff products, smoking paraphernalia, any device that is intended to be used for ingesting or consuming tobacco, or any container or dispenser used for any of those products, is guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty dollars ($250). (c) Money collected pursuant to this section shall be placed into the inmate welfare fund, as specified in Section 4025. (d) Any person housed in a local correctional facility who possesses a handcuff key who is not authorized to possess that item is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine. As used in this subdivision, “handcuff key” means any device designed or intended to open or unlatch a handcuff. (e) Subdivision (b) shall only apply to a person in a local correctional facility in a county in which the board of supervisors has adopted an ordinance or passed a resolution banning tobacco in its correctional facilities.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4576. Section 4576.

(a) Except as otherwise authorized by law, or when authorized by either the person in charge of the prison or other institution under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or an officer of the institution empowered to give that authorization, a person who possesses with the intent to deliver, or delivers, to an inmate or ward in the custody of the department any cellular telephone or other wireless communication device or any component thereof, including, but not limited to, a subscriber identity module (SIM card) or memory storage device, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each device, or both that fine and imprisonment. (b) (1) If a person visiting an inmate or ward in the custody of the department, upon being searched or subjected to a metal detector, is found to be in possession of a cellular telephone or other wireless communication device or any component thereof, including, but not limited to, a SIM card or memory storage device, that device or component shall be subject to confiscation but shall be returned on the same day the person visits the inmate or ward, unless the cellular telephone or other wireless communication device or any component thereof is held as evidence in a case where the person is cited for a violation of subdivision (a). (2) If, upon investigation, it is determined that no prosecution will take place, the cellular telephone or other wireless communication device or any component thereof shall be returned to the owner at the owner’s expense. (3) Notice of this provision shall be posted in all areas where visitors are searched prior to visitation with an inmate or ward in the custody of the department. (c) Any inmate who is found to be in possession of a wireless communication device shall be subject to time credit denial or loss of up to 90 days. (d) A person who brings, without authorization, a wireless communication device within the secure perimeter of any prison or institution housing offenders under the jurisdiction of the department is deemed to have given his or her consent to the department using available technology to prevent that wireless device from sending or receiving telephone calls or other forms of electronic communication. Notice of this provision shall be posted at all public entry gates of the prison or institution. (e) The department shall not access data or communications that have been captured using available technology from unauthorized use of a wireless communication device except after obtaining a valid search warrant. (f) The department shall not capture data or communications from an authorized wireless communication device, except as already authorized under existing law. (g) The department shall not access data or communications that have been captured using available technology from an authorized wireless communication device, except as already authorized under existing law. (h) If the available technology to prevent wireless communications from sending and receiving telephone calls or other forms of electronic communication extends beyond the secure perimeter of the prison or institution, the department shall take all reasonable actions to correct the problem. (i) Any contractor or employee of a contractor or the department who knowingly and willfully, without authorization, obtains, discloses, or uses confidential information in violation of subdivision (e), (f), or (g) shall be subject to an administrative fine or civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) for a first violation, or ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for a second violation, or twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for a third or subsequent violation. (j) Nothing in this section prohibits the department from obtaining electronic communications that the department could have lawfully obtained prior to the effective date of this section.

Cal. Penal Code - PEN § 4577. Section 4577.

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), a person who knowingly and intentionally operates an unmanned aircraft system on or above the grounds of a state prison, a jail, or a juvenile hall, camp, or ranch is guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500). (b) This section does not apply to a person employed by the prison who operates the unmanned aircraft system within the scope of his or her employment, or a person who receives prior permission from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to operate the unmanned aircraft system over the prison. (c) This section does not apply to a person employed by the jail who operates the unmanned aircraft system within the scope of his or her employment, or a person who receives prior permission from the county sheriff to operate the unmanned aircraft system over the jail. (d) This section does not apply to a person employed by the county department that operates the juvenile hall, camp, or ranch who operates the unmanned aircraft system within the scope of his or her employment, or a person who receives prior permission from the county department that operates the juvenile hall, camp, or ranch to operate the unmanned aircraft system over the juvenile hall, camp, or ranch. (e) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Unmanned aircraft” means an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft. (2) “Unmanned aircraft system” means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements, including, but not limited to, communication links and the components that control the unmanned aircraft that are required for the pilot in command to operate safely and efficiently in the national airspace system.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026